Apparel hanging and locking means



April 16, 1958 N. E. WEBSTER 3,378,144

APPAREL HANGING AND LOCKING MEANS Filed Jan 17, 1966 INVENT OR.

NOEL E. WEBSTER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,378,144 APPAREL HANGING AND LOCKING MEANS Noel E. Webster, 31 Foster, Apt. 1, Martinez, Calif. 94553 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 521,054 Claims. (Cl. 211-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparel-hanging and -securing means having a hanger non-removably supported by a rod, a padlock secured to the hanger, and a chain secured at one end to the hanger, the padlock being adapted to selectively hold the other end of the chain.

This invention relates to a hanger including means for securing apparel thereto. It is particularly useful when apparel is hung on a hanger in public or semi-public places such as hotel lobbies, restaurants, locker rooms, and the like. The invention provides means for locking the apparel or garment to the hanger while the garment is hung or draped in the normal position on the hanger.

The security of apparel in public places has long been of concern. Customary methods of providing security have relied largely on attended check rooms or the provision of lockers which may be locked by the user after placing his apparel therein. In addition, clothes racks have been devised such as that disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,202,427, filed July 17, 1937, and issued May 28, 1940.

The present invention represents an improvement over attended check rooms and the provision of lockers primarily because of its decreased cost. In addition, the ap paratus of the present invention is easily installed and may be placed in spaces which are not sufficient for accommodating an attended check room or lockers. It also represents an improvement over the clothes rack disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,202,427, since it includes a locking member which is permanently secured to the hanger as distinguished from the apparatus of the cited patent wherein the locking member (the padlock) is removed from the hanger.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive apparatus for securing apparel to a hanger wherein the locking means is permanently secured to the hanger, to thereby allow the mobility and ease of installation of an ordinary hanger without risking loss or theft of the locking means.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention and shows the hanger, lock, and chain and a garment secured to the hanger.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view and shows a portion of the neck of the hanger and the means for permanently securing the padlock to the hanger.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention which dilfers from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 primarily in the manner in which the lock is permanently secured to the hanger.

With reference to FIG. 1, hanger is shown permanently retained on bar 11, which is mounted horizontally in bracket members 12, only one of which is shown. It will be, of course, understood that a plurality of hangers may be placed on bar 11, although FIG. 1 shows only one hanger. Hanger 10 includes a pair of arms 10a and 10b, a closed loop 100 and a neck 10d. Closed loop 100 is spaced from arcs 10a and 10b and is generally positioned midway between arms 10a and 10b and connected thereto by means of neck 10d.

Padlock 13 includes body 13a and U-shaped latch 13b.

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Latch 13b is movable so that one end 13c thereof may be moved out of a body 13a when padlock 13 is unlocked in the conventional manner.

Shackle 14 is disposed about the leg 13d of U-shaped latch 13b and permanently secured to hanger 10 by means of horizontal member 10c. Horizontal member 10a is welded to neck 10d as shown in FIG. 2 and includes an enlarged portion 10f at the end thereof. Shackle 14 is accordingly not removable from horizontal member 10c and padlock 13 is therefore permanently secured to hanger 10.

Chain 15 is permanently secured to hanger 10 at one end by means of ring 16 and terminates at its opposite end at ring 17. Ring 17 is of suflicient size to accommodate U-shaped latch 13b as shown in FIG. 2. Thus ring 17 may be removed from U-shaped latch 1312 when padlock 13 is unlocked to thereby free one end of chain 15. Chain 15 is preferably of sufficient length to traverse one sleeve-length of the apparel to be hung and secured to hanger 10, and return to padlock 13 without altering the normal draped position of the apparel. For that purpose chain 15 is preferably at least twice the sleeve-length of the apparel to be hung on hanger 10 and secured thereto.

In FIG. 1 a mans suit coat is shown hung or draped on hanger 10 in the normal position. Prior to hanging the garment on hanger 10, padlock 13 is unlocked to thereby free ring 17. The garment is then hung on hanger 10 and chain 15 is draped downwardly through one sleeve of the garment. Ring 17 is then retrieved and placed into the secure position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 about latch 13b. Latch 13b is then locked in the conventional manner into padlock 13 and the garment is secured to hanger 10. It will be noted that chain 15 is of sufficient length so that it may be suspended from ring 16 downwardly through the sleeve of the garment shown and then upwardly to padlock 13 without altering the normal hanging position of the sleeve of the garment.

The garment may be removed from hanger 10 by simply unlocking padlock 13 and freeing ring 17 therefrom. The garment may then be removed from hanger 1i) and chain 15 may be withdrawn from the sleeve of the garment. After the withdrawal is complete and the garment is removed from the hanger, ring 17 may be once again disposed about latch 13b and the invention stands ready to secure a subsequent garment thereto.

FIG. 3 represents a second embodiment of the invention. The embodiment of FIG. 3 primarily diifers from the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the manner in which the lock is permanently secured to the hanger 20. It also differs somewhat in the configuration of hanger 20 which includes a pair of arms 20a and 20b, a closed loop 20c and a pair of vertical neck members 20d and 20e.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, lock body 23a is permanently mounted to hanger 20 by means of plate 24 which is welded to parallel neck members 29d and 20a. Lock body 23a is seated in the opening of plate 24 and permanently secured thereto by welding or any other permanent type connection. Latch 23b is permanently secured to chain 25 which is in turn permanently secured to hanger 2i).

The embodiment of FIG. 3 is used in the same manner as that of FIGS 1 and 2.

Variations may be made in the embodiments shown without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the shape of hanger 10 may vary, such as by the provision of arms 10a and 10b in the absence of a horizontal connecting member such as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. In the absence of the horizontal connecting member, chain 15, 25 may be permanently secured to one of the arms 10a or 10b by any expedient means. In addition, the legs 13c and 13d of the lock 13 may be formed as arms of the hanger 10 itself, rather than as 3 a part of the lock; or the body 13, 13a of the lock rather than the latch 13!) may be aflixed to the hanger 10. The lock 13 may be a conventional padlock, or it may be a lock whose key is removable only when the lock is locked (to prevent loss of keys); or it may consist of any other type of locking device similar in effect and function.

It will be understood that the device shown and described herein is only one illustrative embodiment of the invention, and that all of the foregoing variations, as well as other modifications within the basic inventive concept taught hereby of a hanger-and-lock combination which can be simply slipped onto any existing hanger bar, are to be deemed included within the scope of this invention, the same to be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. Apparel-hanging and -seeuring means which comprises: apparelhanging means; means non-removably supporting said apparel-hanging means on a support; apparel-securing means alfixed to said hanging means; and locking means having a first part permanently atfixed to said hanging means and a second part operable to releasably hold said apparel-securing means in apparelsecuring position.

2. The apparel-hanging and -securing means of claim 1 wherein: said hanging means comprises a pair of arms and a closed loop spaced from and midway between said arms, said loop being joined to said arms to thereby define a neck; and said apparel-securing and locking means comprises a padlock having a body and a U-shaped latch 4 having a length greater than twice the sleeve-length of said apparel.

3. The apparel-hanging and -securing means of claim 2 wherein said shackle is permanently secured to said neck by means of an elongate member extending from said neck, passing through said shackle, and terminating at an enlarged portion thereof.

4. The apparel-hanging and securing means of claim 1 wherein: said apparel-hanging means comprises a pair of arms and a loop spaced from and midway between said arms and connected thereto by means of a pair of neck members; and said apparel securing and locking means comprises a padlock having a body and a U-shaped latch movable into and out of said body; a plate permanently secured to said neck members below said loop but above said arms; means for permanently securing said padlock body to said plate; and a chain permanently secured at one end thereof to one of said arms and at the other end thereof to said latch.

5. The apparel-hanging and -securing means of claim 2 wherein the key for allowing movement of said one end of said U-shaped latch into and out of said body is removable from said body only when said one end of said U-shaped latch is moved into said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,713,621 5/1929 Price 223--92 2,202,427 5/1940 Polen 3 l22l3 2,765,646 10/1956 Hepler 211-4X 3,l57,325 11/1964 Schaefer 2239l FOREIGN PATENTS 447,761 4/ 1948 Canada.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

JOHN PETO, Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

